Jesus and the Storm

   Sometimes it seems like nothing is going right. You may have lost your job. You may be sick, or know someone who is sick. You may not know what the world is going to be like after a significant event. Those are storms, or problems in life. Many times storms don't just show up one at a time. They tend to show up at the same time. Thus, they create a bigger storm.
   One day Jesus was with his disciples. He told them he wanted to go to the other side of a lake. The disciples took him in a boat and they began to go across the lake. Suddenly a really large storm appeared. It was so large that water was entering the boat. Yet, Jesus was asleep. The disciples were scared so they woke Jesus up. Jesus told the storm to be quiet and still. The storm stops; and Jesus asked his disciples "Do you still have no faith?" (Mark.4.35-41)
   We have large storms in life. Jesus is with us too in our storms. He asks us to have faith in him as well. When we are going through loss, Jesus reminds us that he had loss as well. He reminds us that he is there for us and wants to help us grow through that loss. He reminds us to have faith and trust in his plan. He reminds us that he loves us.
   So, what storms do you have in your life now? Are you walking with Jesus in those storms? Do you have faith that God has a plan for your life?

   Image from here.

Be Strong and Courageous: Joshua

   I would like you to picture a time where you may have had someone you looked up to leave you. Maybe they moved, left your organization, or they may have left this world. That person may have been a great leader. The person may have had great listening skills, was caring, loved others, and was a godly person. Imagine having to follow in the footsteps of that person. That’s exactly what Joshua had happen to him.

   Moses was a great leader for the Israelites. Did he make mistakes? Yes, but he did his best to follow God. He did his best facing many unknown challenges in Egypt and the wilderness. Then he died. A leader had to step up. Joshua was that leader. Joshua had some large shoes to fill. I imagine he was feeling scared or nervous. He not only had to lead these people, he also had to take the Promised Land for his people.

   Did Joshua fret? Did he believe he could not face the people of the Promised Land? Was he afraid of the unknown? We don’t know. What we do know is that God spoke to Joshua and encouraged him. Joshua 1:1-9 is where we first see God encourage Joshua. God tells Joshua that he will be with him and will never leave him. God tells Joshua to “be strong and courageous” 3 times in these 9 verses. God believes in Joshua and tells him not to fear because God is with him wherever he goes (Josh.1.9).

   Could you imagine having this pep-talk from God? Well you should, because God would do the same for you. He loves us and is with us. He sent his Son to die for us so that he could have a relationship with us. When we face hard challenges, God says to us “be strong and courageous.” When we have to step up and be a leader, God says “be strong and courageous.” When we feel alone, or face the unknown, God says to us “be strong and courageous.” He says that he is with us wherever we go.

   So, when you face the unknown will you trust in God? Do you believe that God is with you wherever you go?

   Image from here.

The Champion

   It is Resurrection Sunday! Though, right now, the last thing on your mind might be Easter. It is not easy for many people right now. Many of us are worried about our jobs, our heath, and even what our next meal may be. Churches are online and Resurrection Sunday just doesn’t feel the same to us.

   Why is it so important for us to still celebrate, and treat, Resurrection Sunday with the same reverence even with all of this going on? The answer is because without Resurrection Sunday we would not have any hope. You may be thinking: “how can we have hope right now? It seems like we are hopelessly stuck in this situation.” Today, I want to remind you of something that you may need to hear: Jesus has already won.

   We know that the things of this earth are temporary. It’s not easy what we are going through right now.  We are uncertain of many things. Yet, we have hope. During this time of year I think about an older song by an artist called Carmen. Carmen wrote a song called The Champion. It is a bit of a long song but it give illustration of the spiritual battle that Jesus was fighting. He was human just like us. He faced sin just like us. Though, unlike us, he did not sin. He was also fighting spiritual battles at the same time. That’s what this song is about.

   I think this song is a good reminder that we also have battles, but we don’t fight them on our own. God is there to walk with us. He sent his Son to die for us so we would have hope. Even though it isn’t always easy on earth, we know that we are secure. We know that God is with us. We know that we have a hope and a future with Christ, if we believe in him.

   So, will you choose to remember how important Easter is even if you are unable to celebrate the way you usually do? How can you focus on the hope that we have in Christ today and every day? Will you choose to walk with God when you face difficult battles?

   John 3:16, John 11:25, Romans 12:12, Jeremiah 29:11

   Image from here.

   Carmen video here.

Faith in Hard Times: Moses

   One of the many movies I have watched during this time is The Prince of Egypt. This is the story of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt. In it, Moses goes through some hard times. He leaves everything he knows and builds a life in Midian. Then God calls him to leave all of that to face Pharaoh. He was the face of the rebellion against Egypt. For a time, both the Egyptians and Israelites probably really did not like him. He was making both those groups lives more difficult.

   At one point in the movie, Moses goes into the Nile River and God turns the water to blood. The people are all amazed. Yet, Pharaoh refuses to let the Israelites go. Aaron and the Israelites become discouraged. Moses says: “Yes, Aaron, it’s true. Pharaoh has the power. He can take away your sons and daughters. With one word, Pharaoh can take away your very lives. But there is one thing he cannot take away from you: your faith. Believe, for we will see God’s wonders.”

   We may not be facing slavery or many plagues, but we are facing a disease now. The virus has taken many things from us. It has taken our freedom, jobs, schools, sports, entertainment, and our health. It could very well take away much more before this is all said and done. However, just like the Israelites and Pharaoh, there is one thing that this virus cannot take away: our faith.

   God is still at work even in this difficult time. We know how the story ends. Even though there may be pain and suffering on this earth, someday we will have no more pain or suffering. Someday we will be with the one who created us and loved us enough to die for us. That is, if we believe in him.

   So, will you trust God through this difficult time? How can you grow in your faith in Him?

   James 1:12, Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:6-8

   Image from here.

Encouraging Others in Hard Times: Joseph

   One person who faced many hard times in the Bible, over many years, was Joseph. He faced many unknowns. One particular hard time was when he was put in charge of all of Egypt. It was his job to get Egypt through a 7 year famine.

   Joseph had been given a gift by God to be able to interpret dreams. In Genesis 41 we read that Pharaoh called him out of prison to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. Not only did Joseph interpret his dreams, he also gave Pharaoh advice. He told Pharaoh to keep some food aside for the years of famine. Joseph was a smart business man. He did not just sit around when an impending famine was coming. He prepared for it.

   Joseph was not just responsible for his family but the fate of all those people in Egypt and beyond. Who knows if they had faced a famine of that magnitude before? Joseph trusted God and followed his plan. He did not know all the things God had planned. Yet, he believed God had good planned for him and his family. Because Joseph trusted God, he and his family were saved.

   Nowadays, we go through hard times. We face unknowns. But, it’s not only us who face those unknowns. Many times people have gone through the same things we have. Many times leaders are facing new situations where they are learning along the way just as we are. The interesting thing is if people would not have believed Joseph or followed him then many would have perished. It may be hard to trust people or leaders in trying times; but, if we don’t band together, then we could all perish.

   Hebrews 10:24-25 says: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” It is hard to go through tough times. Yet, if we work together and encourage one another it makes life on earth a little easier. This verse also reminds us that this time on earth is temporary. We will face hard times, like Joseph did, but eventually if we believe in Christ we will be with him in heaven.

   I encourage you to remember how important it is to be prepared for when hard times come. Remember to spend time with God and trust in him when hard times come. Think about how people before you may have gone through those hard times. Remember that it is vital to band together in difficult times and encourage each other.

   Image from here.

The Lord Gives and Takes: Job

   When looking at the Bible many people were tested. However, there was one person who was tested to the extreme measure: Job.

   In Job 1 we find out that Job was very rich and followed God. By all accounts Job was what we would consider by today’s standards, a good person. He cared for his servants, possessions, family, and God. Then one day disaster struck: one servant after another came to tell Job bad news. In the end it turned out that Job’s oxen, donkeys, sheep, servants, camels, and children were all taken or dead.

   Could you imagine if all of your possessions were taken from you in one fell swoop? That’s exactly what happened to Job. He had all of his possessions taken. He had his children taken. Many of us would have yelled at God and asked him why this happened. Job said “the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job.1.21).

   Job recognized something that many of us have a hard time understanding. God has given us everything we have. You may say, “well I worked for my money and used it to buy everything I have.” Who gave you your job? Who gave you the talents you have to get that job? That’s right, God gave you those things.

   These days we are going through are not easy. But rather than look at what we lost maybe we need to be like Job? Job lost everything that we consider important on the earth except for his spouse. And, he didn’t even know why it happened! Job had extreme faith in God. He trusted that God was still working for good. He gave thanks to God even in his difficult circumstance.

   1 Thessalonians 5:18 says: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We are to give thanks in all circumstances. That means when we are offered a job promotion we give thanks. When we lose our job we are to give thanks. When things don't go the way we planned we are to give thanks. When a family member or friend is diagnosed with a serious illness we are to give thanks. We don’t just give thanks in the good, we give thanks in the bad too. We do that because we trust that God has a plan, even if we don’t know what that plan is.

   I encourage you to think about what you lost and what you still have. Think about what God has blessed you with over the years. Thank him for all he has done, is doing, and will do in your life.

   Image from here.

Faith in the Unknown: Noah

   There are many people who have gone through hard times in history. In the Bible, in particular, there are people who had to go through things that required lots of faith. Noah was one of these people.

   In Genesis 6-9 we find the story of Noah. There was wickedness all over the earth. God looked on the earth and saw that evil was all that the people on earth thought about all the time. Could you imagine everyone only thinking evil all the time? Well, that’s the world Noah was living in. He was fighting a spiritual battle by himself. Actually, not by himself, he had God on his side. God saw that and asked Noah to do something that had never been done before.

   You know the rest of the story. Noah built the ark, had 2 of every kind of animal on the ark, stayed on the ark for many days during the flood, and when he got off the ark he built an alter to God. Noah was asked to; in essence, spend many years doing the impossible. He obeyed God in every instruction; and, because of that, he and his family were spared.

   Like Noah, we may feel we are facing an impossible situation right now. The virus is changing our society very quickly. Many stores are closed and many are out of work. We are being asked to stay home so we don’t spread the virus. We don’t know how long it will be this way. Like Noah, we have many unknowns at this point.

   But, from Noah’s story we can see that God does have a plan. We may not know that plan at this point but we know that God works everything for good for those who love him. Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” It is hard to be living this way right now. Many people are unsure of what to expect next as each day brings new challenges.

   I encourage you to remember Noah’s story. Remember how Noah was asked to do something never done before. Remember how in faith he obeyed all of God’s commands. Remember how God works for good for those who love him.

   Image from here.